Installation for laminated glass



ENSEALLMTKON rem is ATED GLAQS ipplioetioh Aoril 23, i943, Serisl No. tsetse This invention relates to transparent closure structures, end it has particular relation to surrounding supports for such structures in which laminated glass units ere flexibly mounted in wall sections without clamping the glass portions of the units.

Que object of the invention is to provide an improved closure structure in which laminated lass is connected to surrounding irome elements by flexible deformable elements adopted to be soldered or welded to supporting members.

Another object of the invention is to provide on improved mounting structure for closure psnels embodying s. lsmihcted glass unit in which flexible edge extensions are included with mounting elements adapted to sustain the'lemineted. unit in on opening in o. well section. 4

Another object of the invention is to provide an improvedmeens for mounting and bracing e. laminated uriit in e. surrounding frame structure. that supports such unit.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a. frugmentery side elevation of e Wall section including at laminated closure structure as viewed from the inside cl 2. compartment, or other enclosure, in which the structure is adapted to be installed; Fig. 2 'is s l'regmeritery horizontel section, one. larger scale, token substantislly along the line II--II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary vertical section, on a. larger scale. taken substantially along the line III-III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary horizontal section similerto Fig. 2, but in which another form oi clamping structure is included; and Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary horizontal sections similar to Fig. 4 of other forms of structure adopted to be included in a. well section of the type shown in Fig. 1.

In practicing the invention, a well section m which can be a part or an airplane compartment,

vehicle, or other structure, is provided with openlugs ll separated by a. frame member or pier ii that is rigidly mounted in, and forms 9. port oi the well section. A laminated unit this disposed in each opening and comprises a sheet interleyer it of organic plastic, such es vinyl ecetel resin, or other resin that is adopted to be employed as interleye'r material in laminated glass. Plates of glass ll are bonded upon opposite sides ofthe' sheet of lnterluyer. The edges of the sheet interlsyer and glass plates are substentielly coincidental. Flexible and resilient sheet metal is in strip form is disposed between the marginal portions of the glass plates and is bonded to the sheet interlayer in such manner d (Claims. (El. res -es) 2 that the metal does not touch the cless. The strip motel extends entirely and continuously eround the perimeter of each laminated unit and constitutes a. flexible and resilient mounting flange that can be suitably connected to a. sup= porting structure.

The-laminated units it with the flexible strip metal is extending therefrom ere disposed in the well section in such manner thutv the strip motel overlaps the sdiecentsurfeces of the pier l2 and marginal portions of the well section that defines the openings. In this oositiozi the outer edges of the strip metal are welded or soldered to the pier it, as indicated at it, end to the marginal per-- time of the well section, as indicated at Eifl- (his. 3). The welding or soldering is continuous eutirely around the laminated units for the purpose of securing a, strong fluid-tight joint structure.

Clamping plates 28 overlie the strip metal is along the frame member 52 and edges of the Wall section, and are firmly clumped in piece by rhesus of bolts 2E passing through these elements. It will be observed that coplanar portions of the strip motel is of both lemineted units it (Fig. 2) are confined by the centre! clamping piste elem; the clumping side of the centre! frame member E2.

The member i2 is formed with opposite shoui ders ll overlapping the gloss portions of the lemineted units, end strips 2d of rubber, plastic, wood, or other suitable material, are secured upon these shoulders to serve as ehutments or buii'ers' against which the laminated units can be pressed within the range cl play permitted by V the flexibility of the strip motel is. roruciusrly in Windshields of high speed aircraft, provision must he made to withstand pressures of considereblc magnitude. The shoulders 27? and strips it constitute eficctive means for properly withstanding and distributing at least ports oi such pressures without exertion oi any clamping forces on the glass pistes. I

In the form of structure shown in Fig. 4 the lemineted units it with their strip metul borders iii are the some as those shown in Figs. 1 and 2. However, dlfierent pier or central frame structure 3%) is provided in that the letter is formed with inwardly turned flanges ll which define a. channel-t2 in which oblong burs so are disposed and adapted to he turned crosswise oi the chairhel so as to serve m nuts enuegeeble upon the undersides of the flanges 3i. bars 36 is indicated by broken lines fi l sud these bars are placed longitudinally between the flanges 3! in the position indicated by such The Width of the r 3 broken lines before they are turned approximately 90 degrees about the axis of the fastener 38 to the full line position wherein they are clamped. Fastening elements 36, such as screws or bolts, pass through the clamping plate 28, and by tightening the bolts 38 the strip metal i8 01 the laminated units can be clamped against the flanges 3 l Before the plate 23 is applied the strip metal I8 is solderedor welded to the inwardly turned flanges, as indicated at 38. If desired cushioning sealing strips 85 can be mounted in grooves Ml formed in the outer sides of the flanges in such position as to bear against the sides of the strip metal. The area of welding 88 extends entirely around the perimeter of the laminated unit in order to insure permanent metal-to-metal and fluid-tight connection of the welded elements to support the glass units.

The portions of the laminated unit other than those Just described for the pier connection are seated in the same manner as that shown in Fig. 3. If desired, a strip 4! of packing, rubber,

or other material similar to the material 28, can be .mounted between the inside glass edges of each unit and a shoulder 62.

In Fig. 5 the laminated panels l5 are the same in construction as those shown in Fig. 4, with the exception additional strip metal sections 45 or substantially Z-shape in cross section are confined at their inner edge portions, together with the strip metal 18, between the cover plates 23 and the supporting structure. The outer edge portion of the strip metal of Z-shape overlaps the outside marginal portion of the outer glass plate of the laminated unit l5.

An arrangement of this kind ca be combined with additional panel units 50 which are mounted in channels 52, welded, as indicated at 54, upon outer sides of metal angle strips 58. Brackets 58 are welded to the pier 30 and to angle iron strips 60 which confine portions of the strip metal l8 and Z-strip 45 to the wall section ID by means of fasteners 8| corresponding substantially to the fasteners 36. The outer edges or the strip metal l8 are welded, as indicated at 64, to the wall section It to correspond to the welding shown at 2|. The brackets 58 are provided with sockets 62 into which curved flanges 63 are adapted to be sprung and locked. The inner panels '50 of the double glazed structure can. thus be demounted to facilitate periodic cleaning of the glass. Openings 8! in the central pier 30 which is hollow provides communication to the space between the panels of the double glazed structure and through which air at desired high or low temperatures can be circulated from a suitable source (not shown).

With reference to Fig. 6, laminated units 19 are constructed similarly to the units l5 although a different form of marginal structure is included. Each unit HI comprises sheet interlayer material H of organic plastic, such as vinyl acetal, or other resin that is adapted to be. employed in laminating glass. Plates of glass 12 are bonded upon opposite sides of the interlayer material. The edges of the glass plates extend beyond the edges of the interlayer material and define therewith a marginal channel 14 in which rubber compound 15 in strip form is mounted in such manner as to extend substantially as a continuation of the interlayer material H to form a flexible mounting flange entirely around the laminated unit. The rubber is applied upon opposite sides of strip metal 18 which extends outwardly beyond 4 tuting both the resinous compound and the rubber composition thus forms a compound interlayer. By utilizing a process known as "cycle weldin the surfaces of the rubber are bonded to the op posing faces of the glass plates inside the channel M. The strip rubber is also bonded in like manner to opposite sides of the strip metal and its inner edges are abutted and bonded against the outer edges of the interlayer ll at the bottomof the channel it. The strip metal is thus wider than the strip rubber and extends outwardly beyond the latter sufilciently to insure ample free metal space for welding. It is to be understood that the bonding of the rubber to the glass and to the strip metal insure substantially integral unions much stronger than those obtainable by bonding glass ta resin ordinarily used in laminating glass.

The extended portions of the strip metal 18 in adjacent windows are overlapped and welded together, as indicated at 18, to form a fluid-tight, integral metal connection between the two laminated units it. Rivets pass through an outer cover plate or strip 8! and through the overlapped portions of the strip metal 16 into a hollow supporting pier 83. The marginal strip metal porticns (6 other than those connected, as described, to the pier 83, are connected to the wall section by means of rivets 84 and, in addition, by means of welding of the strip metal directly to the wall section, as indicated at 86. At this location the rivets also pass through angle plates 81 which cover the welded margins. The rivets 80 and M can be further secured by spot welding which provides a strong integral connection among all of the elements through which such rivets pass.

In connection with this construction, additional panel units 90, which are embraced at their edges by metal channels 8!, can be installed to form double glazing. The angle plate 87 is provided with 'a shoulder 92 against which the units 80 are fitted to space them from the units 10, and additional spacers 93 between the units i0 and can .be inserted. Rubber molding strips 84 fastened in grooves 96 and wedged behind the panel units 90 are demountable for the purpose of-facilitating the removal of the panel units 90 at any time as desired. Openings 88 in the central pier 83 provide communication with the space between the units of the double glazed structure and through which air at desired high or low temperatures can be circulated from a suitable source (not shown) l Although more than one form of structure has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but that various changes can be made therein without-departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a closure installation, a pair of laminated window sections forming portions or a continuous wall section, strip metal mounted in each of said window sections and extending therefrom to form a mounting border, the strip metal from one window section overlapping the strip metal of the other section and including an integral metalto-metal welded connection therebetween, and means engaging the overlapping strip metal to serve as a support for the window sections.

2. In a closure installation an interlayer sheet 1 cl organic plastic, glass plates bonded upon opposite sides of said sheet, the edges of the glass plates extending beyond the edges or said sheet enoaoeo 1 v to opposed marginal portions of the glass plates inside the channel, metal supporting structure surrounding the glass plates, and a welded metalto-metal joint between the strip metal and the supporting structure disposed outwardly iromthe edges or the glass plates.

3. In a closure installation, an interlayer sheet of organic plastic, glassplates bonded to opposite sides of and extending beyond the edges of said sheet to define a channel between the marginal portions of said plates, flexible sheet metal in strip form having one edge disposed between the marginal portions of the glass plates in the channel and having its other edge extending outwardly beyond the edges of said plates, and rubber compound in strip form bonded to opposite sides of said strip metal and to opposed faces of the glass plates inside the channel, said rubber extending outwardly beyond the edges of the glass plates and the strip metal extending outwardly beyond the edges of the rubber.

4; In a closure installation, an interlayer sheet of organic plastic, glass plates bonded to opposite sides of and extending outwardly beyond the edges of said sheet to define a channel between the marginal portions of aid plates, flexible sheet metal in strip form having one edge disposed between the marginal portions of the glass plates in the channel and having its other edge extending outwardly beyond the edges of said plates, rubber compound in strip form bonded to opposite sides of said strip metal and to opposed faces of the glass plates inside the channel, said rubber extending outwardly beyond the edges of the glass plates and the strip metal extending outwardiy beyond the edges of the rubber, metal supporting structure clamped on opposite sides of the strip rubber at a location outwardly spaced from the edges of'the glass plates, and a metalt-metal welded joint between the strip metal and the metal supporting structure.

. DANE.- T. DOWNES. 

